In injection molded part production, there are potential problems with cavity malfunction. Such problems can be exasperated in high-volume production. Even if one cavity is down, molding conditions and processing parameters can become unbalanced. If the mold keeps running, say by the operator blocking a malfunctioning stack, the quality and dimensions of the products may be impacted.
Cleaning or replacing a malfunctioning stack may become necessary to ensure part quality. However, extended downtime may be required depending on the construction of the mold. Many times, when one or two mold cavities begin producing bad parts, the entire mold must be removed from the molding machine for maintenance or repair.